Apparatus for treating filamentary material



Nov. 30, 1948. w. H. KREAME R ETAL APPARATUS FOR TREATING FILAMENTARYMATERIAL Filed Sept. 15; 1945 WWW- iWlfIllIlR IINVENTORS. @0026 PatentedNov. 30, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR TREATINGFILAMENTARY MATERIAL William H. Kreamer, Ernest -K. Bauer,

American Meadville, Pa Viscose Corporation,

John C. Kllngener, and asslgnors to Wilmington,

Del., a corporation oi. Delaware Application September 15, 1945, SerialNo. 816.582

mentary materials, such as threads, yarns, twisted. or untwisted bundlesof continuous filaments,

wires, strands, cords or the like, whether or not such continuousmaterials contain a coating of a sticky liquid or plastic materialthereon.

It is anobject of the invention to convey the particulate material tothe running strand or the like while assuring that the strand does notform channels within the body of particulate material. Another object ofthe invention is to provide for the conveying of the particulatematerial 'insuccession to a plurality of stations where the runningstrand is to be treated by engagement therewith. A further object is toprovide an arrangement in which the particulate material follows acircuitous path, first past the several strandtreating stations and thenthrough a return to the first partof the path. It is a further object toarrange the return path so that any particulate material overflowingfrom the strand-treating stations falls to the return path to join thematerial being returned to the start of the cyclic path. Further objectsand advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawing andthe description thereof hereinafter.

In the drawing, which is illustrative of the invention- Figure 1 is afront elevation of a multi-station apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on line II--I[ of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevational "view of the upper conveyor with thetrough therefor out way and the strand and exit slot in the front of thetrough being shown in phantom by dotted lines,

Figure 3a is a'front elevational view of a modified form which the upperconveyor may take,

Figure 3b is a front elevational view of another form the upper conveyormay take, and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic end elevation showing a modified arrangementof the two troughs.

As shown in the-drawing, the machine com-- prises a plurality ofstrand-collecting stations 2 spaced side by side longitudinally of themachine. These stations may comprise any suitable form of winding deviceto which the strand is directed by means of a traverse guide 3. As shownin the drawing, the strand proceeds from the base of a suitable supplywhich in the present instance is a dry spinning machine for spinningcontinuous artificial filaments comprising a plurality of cells 4arranged side by side. At eachstation oi. the machine, the strand 5proceeds from a guide 6 in 13 Claims. Cl. 91-46) the base of thespinning cell about a delivery roll 1 driven at constant speed throughslots 8 and 9' in the outer walls of the troughs i0 and H, and thenthrough the traverse guide 3 to the winding station 2. The two troughsIll and II extend longitudinally of the machine and contain screw orworm conveyors l2 and' I3 respectively. These conveyors may be driven bygears l 4 and it which are in mesh and are driven by gear It on a shaftI1 driven by a motor or other suitable means (not shown). it comprises aplurality of sections each extending between two adjacent treatingstations. As shown more particularly in Figures 2 and 3, this provides abreak or gap in the helical fin I 8'01 the conveyor adjacent the path ofthe strand in each station. The ends of the individual units of theconveyor 12 are provided with complementary interflttlng projectionsshown at [9 and of Figure 2 and 20 these projections are rotatablymounted within a bearing 2!. The trough II for the return conveyor I3 islaterally ofiset' from and below the trough III for the upper conveyorso that particulate material overflowing from" the upper trough throughthe slots 8 turn conveyor. Preferably, the upper trough will overhangthe lower return trough to a certain extent, as shown in thediagrammatic Figure 4, but where such is not the case, a sloped plate 22(see Figures 1 and 2) may be arranged to cause material overflowingthrough slot 8 to fall into the lower chute. At the discharge end of theupper'trough Ill, a chute 23 is provided to cause the material to fallby gravity into the return trough ll.

A feeding hopper 24 is provided at the entrance end of the upper troughI0 and this is supplied with particulate material by the entiless bucketconveyor 25 which lifts the particulate material discharged from the endof the trough l I through the chute 2G. The elevating conveyor 25 may beenclosed within a suitable housing 21 provided with a door 28 to permitthe introduction of additional material.

The screw conveyor in the upper trough will fall into the re- Preferablyexcess particulate material is shaken from the strands by means of avibrating rod 29 material at those places in the trough through I whichthe strands pass. The height of the material in the trough is shown indotted lines in the drawing. The lower sloped dotted line A in Figure 2represents the surface of the material where fins iii are presentwhereas the upper sloped dotted line B shows the mound height. The screwconveyor unit in advance of the treating station pushes the materialinto the mound, whereas that beyond the treating station draws thematerial away from the mound so that it continuously passes over thathump or through the mound, thereby preventing channeling in the mound bythe strand. Immediately after passing through the mound, each strand isshaken by contact with the vibrating rod 29,'so'that excess particulatematter is thrown into the lower trough H for return with the main bodyof particulate material being returned to the elevator 25.

Figure 3a shows a modified form of screw conveyor showing that it is notessential that the conveying fin be continuous or strictly helicalbetween the mound-building gaps. As shown the conveyor shaft i2 has aplurality of inclined fins 18a, the rotary paths of which may or may notoverlap adjacent their ends, but preferably do.

Figure 3b shows a modification in which the screw has an additional finl8b disposed between the helix of fin is near the delivery end of theconveyor unit discharging to the mound region. This improvestheuniformity of delivery.

The apparatus or the present invention may be employed for theapplication of dusts and powders to reduce the adhesion of such strandsas rubber, artificial rubber, and substitutes for rubber. Examples ofthe latter type of material are the vinyl resins containingplasticizers. Examples of the particulate material that'may be appliedare talc, borax, bicarbonate of soda, chalk and the like. Besidesapplying powdered materials to threads of plastic nature to preventadhesion between the threads, the apparatus may be applied for theapplication of particles for the purpose of delustering a strand or forthe purpose of making an abrasive material of strandular character. Incases where the strand does not have an inherent tackiness, a tackycoating of the liquid or paste may be applied thereto prior to itspassage through the particulate material.

7 In the claims, the word strand is intended in a generic sense to covera single continuous filament, a bundle of such filaments either twistedor untwisted, a yarn whether of continuous fila- ,ments or of shortfibers, cords, narrow strips or ribbonsaandthe like, and to includetextile as well,;as non-textile structures, such as ropes or wires.

It is to be understood that changes and variations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

We claim:

1. In an apparatus for applying a particulate material to a travelingstrand, a container, screw conveyor means therein for propelling theparticulate material longitudinally thereof, said means having a gapprovided in the screw blading thereof whereby the material piles up to ahigher level in the container adjacent said gap, and means for conveyinga strand through the pile of material thus formed.

2. In an apparatus for applying particulate material to a runningstrand, a container, means for conveying the material through thecontainer comprising rotatable means having helically arranged meansprojecting outwardly with respect to the axis for propelling thematerial longitudinally of the axis of the rotatable means, saidprojecting means being at least partially omitted or cut away along anintermediate portion of the rotatablemeans so that the material isallowed to pile up in the container at said intermediate portion, andmeans to guide a strand through the piled material.

3. In an apparatus for applying particulate material to a runningstrand, a container, means for conveying the material through thecontainer comprising rotatable means having helically arranged meansprojecting outwardly with respect to the axis for propelling thematerial longitudinally of the axis of the rotatable means, saidprojecting means being entirely omitted or cut away along anintermediate portion of the rotatable means so that the material isallowed to pile up in the container at said intermediate portion, and

means to guide a strand through the piled material comprising an openingin a wall of the trough adjacent the cut-away portion of the screw.

4.1m an apparatus for applying particulate material to a running strand,a trough, a screw conveyor for propelling the material axially thereofthrough the trough, the screw being at least partially omitted Or cutaway at an intermediate portion thereof to cause piling of the materialat said portion, and means to guide a strand through the piled material.

5. In an'apparatus for applying particulate material to a runningstrand, a trough, a screw conveyor for propelling the material axially 2thereof through the trough, the screw being at least partially omittedor cut away at an intermediate portion thereof to cause piling of thematerial at said portion, and means to guide a strand through the piledmaterial comprising an opening in a wall of the trough adjacent the cutaway portion of the screw.

6. In an apparatus for treating running strands, a trough, a screwconveyor for propelling a particulate material longitudinally throughthe trough, the screw being at least partially omitted or cut away at aplurality of spaced points therealong to cause the piling oi thematerial at said cut away portions, and means for guiding astrandthrough each of such piles comprising an opening in a wall of the troughadjacent the cut away portions of the screw.

'7. In an apparatus for treating running strands, a trough, a screwconveyor for propelling a particulate material longitudinally throughthe trough, the screw being at least partially omitted or cut away at aplurality of spaced points therealong to cause the piling of thematerial at said cut away portions, means for guiding a strand througheach of such piles comprising an opening in a wall of the troughadjacent the cut away portions of the screw, a second trough below thefirst, a screw conveyor in the second trough for propelling theparticulate material in the opposite direction to that in which it movesin the upper trough, means for conducting the particulate material fromthe discharge end of the upper trough into the adjacent end of theassaaso conveying the material therefrom to the adiacent end of theupper trough.

8. in an apparatus for treating running strands, a trough, a screwconveyor ior propelling a particulate material longitudinally throughthe trough, the screw being at least partially omitted or cut away at aplurality oi spaced points there along to cause the piling oi thematerial at said cut away portions, means iorguiding a strand througheach oi such piles comprising an opening in a wall of the troughadjacent the cut away portions of the screw, a second trough below thefirst, a screw conveyor in the second trough ior promlling theparticulate material longitudinally oi the trough, the troughs beingarranged with the upper trough; overhanging the lower trough so thatparticulate material overflowing the openings in the wall oi the uppertrough falls into the lower trough.

9. In an apparatus for treating running strands, a trough, a screwconveyor ior propelling a particulate material longitudinally throughthe trough, the screw being at least partially omitted or cut away at aplurality oi spaced points therealong to cause the piling oi thematerial at said cut away portions, means ior guiding a strand througheach of such piles comprising an opening in a wall of the troughadjacent the cut away portions oi the screw, a second trough below thefirst, a screw conveyor in the second trough for propelling theparticulate material longitudinally oi the trough, and means disposedtransversely of the path oi the strands for vibrating them as they passover the lower trough-.1

10. In an apparatus for treating running strands, a trough. a screwconveyor tor propelling a particulate material longitudinally throughthe trough, the screw being at least partially omitted orcut away at aplurality of spaced points therealong to cause the piling oi thematerial at said cut away portions, means for guiding a strand througheach of such piles comprising an opening in a wall of the troughadlacent the cut away portions of the screw, a second trough below thefirst, a screw conveyor in the second trough for propelling theparticulate material longitudinally oi the trough, and guiding meansbelow the openings in the wall of the upper trough for conveyingoverflowing particulate material from'said openings into the lowertrough.

11. In an apparatus for treating running strands, a trough, a screwconveyor for propelling .a particulate material longitudinally throughthe trough, the screw being at least partially omitted or cut away at aplurality oi spaced points therealong to cause the piling oi thematerial at said cut-away portions, means for guiding a strand througheach of such piles comprising an opening in a wall of the troughadjacent the cut-away the upper trough rails into the lower trough, andI elevator means communicating with the discharge end of the lowertrough for conveying the material therefrom to the adjacent end of thepptr trou h 12. in an apparatus for treating running strands, a trough,a screw conveyor for propelling a particulate material longitudinallythrough the trough, the screw being at least partially omitted or cutaway at a plurality of spaced points therealong to cause the piling oithe material at said cut-,away portions, means ior guiding a strandthrough each of such piles comprising an opening in a wall oi the troughadjacent the cut-away portions of the screw, a second trough below thefirst, a screw conveyor in the second trough for propelling theparticulate material in the opposite .direction to that in which itmoves in the upper trough, means for conducting the particulate materialfrom the discharge end of the upper means lh transversely oi the path ofthe strands ior vibrating them as they pass over the lower trough, andelevator means communicating with the discharge and oi the lower troughfor conveying the material therefrom to the adiacent end oi the uppertrough.

it, in an apparatus ior treating running strands, a trough, a screwconveyor for propelling a particulate material longitudinally throughthe trough, the screw being at least partially omitted or cut away at aplurality of spaced points therealong to cause the piling of thematerial at said cut 'away portions, means for guiding a strand througheach of such piles comprising an openportions of the screw, a secondtrough below the 00 first, a screw conveyor in the second trough forpropelling the particulate material in the opposite direction to that inwhich it moves in the upper trough. means for conducting the portionlatematerial from the dlschargd'ond oi the upper trough into the adjacentend 'ofths lower trough,

ing in a wall of the trough adjacent the cut-away portions 0! the screw,9. second trough below the first, a screw conveyor in the second troughfor propelling the particulate material in the opposite direction tothat in which it moves in the conveying the material therefrom to theadjacent end of the upper trough.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile oithis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 703,197 Benny June 24, 19021,957,270 Keene et al May 1, 1934 1,988,687

Johnson July 81, 1934

